CRYPTIC CLUES

ACROSS

1 County put on bash with horse (7,5) 8 Employers are those who take advantage (5) 9 Cooked rarebit for mediator (7) 10 Last ones in, except Henri, consumed whisky neat (4) 11 Explosive seen, but a lot live, incredibly (8) 14 Get a kick from most of the small current (6) 15 Negligent concerning loss (6) 17 Mischievous child with cord, right and wrong (8) 18 Gnaw a piece, last of cheese (4) 21 Mostly guarded about our bravery (7) 23 Carefully observed the famous (5) 24 Not far from town, so hearts are broken (1,6,5)

DOWN

1 Being short and thickset, crouch (5) 2 If led astray, fall for students’ expedition (5,4) 3 Yorkshire river to trickle soundly (4) 4 King easy‑going when playing horn (6) 5 Always on top, bun cooked and swallowed (8) 6 Whip animal (3) 7 Generates varieties of animal (6) 12 Founder of almost the first hill (9) 13 Maybe adore old land (2,6) 14 Time sorceress made sudden movement (6) 16 Ms Zellweger takes 1000 to back down (6) 19 Bequeath how widow and sparrow finish? (5) 20 Section in the community (4) 22 Pleasant times for power in America (3)